Family and fans at the unveiling of a Sean Taylor memorial at FedExField. Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Taylor's half-brother saw no issue with Commanders' tribute

Jamal Johnson, the half-brother of the late Sean Taylor, called the Washington Commanders' statue and tribute to the football star this weekend an "honor" and saw no issue with what the team had constructed.

The Commanders drew harsh criticism this weekend when they unveiled a statue of Taylor that seemed to be nothing more than a mismatched uniform over top of a wire mannequin. 

But Johnson did not see it that way at all and told TMZ, "It was greatly appreciated and an honor that his legacy lives on in D.C." He also added that he was "at a loss for words" and does not expect this to be the end of the team's tribute to Taylor.

Taylor was killed 15 years ago at the age of 24 during a home break-in. 

He had played three-and-a-half years in the NFL and had developed into one of the best defensive players in the league. 

The Commanders had hyped up Sunday's ceremony as a statue unveiling, but the finished product did not match the hype in the eyes of many fans and analysts. It was perhaps made worse by the way the Commanders haphazardly rushed Taylor's jersey retirement ceremony a year ago, giving people (including his family) only three days notice before the event.

Typically, those events are scheduled months in advance and announced prior to the season. They are not just thrown together days before. That was seen as using Taylor as a distraction for the team's many off-field issues. When the statue unveiling proved to be a disappointment, it just brought more criticism forward. 

In the end, the opinions that matter the most are Taylor's own family, and at least as far as his half-brother is concerned there is no issue with what the Commanders did. 

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